Dalit Software Engineer Hacked to Death in Suspected Honour Killing in Tamil Nadu; Police Officers' Son Arrested

According to police investigations, Kavin had travelled from Chennai, where he worked as an engineer for a major IT firm, to visit Subashini at her workplace. Witnesses say her brother, Surjith, approached Kavin near the hospital and asked to speak with him. The conversation quickly escalated into a violent argument. Surjith then drew a sickle and hacked Kavin to death, inflicting multiple wounds before fleeing the chaotic scene.

Surjith, aged 21 or 25 according to varying police statements, surrendered at the Palayamkottai police station a short time later. He is the son of sub-inspectors Saravanan and Krishnakumari, both serving in the local police force. Kavin’s family alleges that for months, the police couple threatened their son, demanding that he end his relationship with Subashini. The woman’s family, belonging to a Most Backward Class community or reportedly the dominant Maravar community, had staunchly opposed the inter-caste relationship. Sources indicate that while Kavin and Subashini’s relationship was amicable, the backlash from her family intensified after Kavin expressed his wish to marry her, an idea met with repeated threats and fierce opposition.

Family and community members staged a demonstration after the killing, blocking the main thoroughfare and refusing to accept Kavin’s body until action was taken against both Surjith and his parents. Protesters accused the local police of dragging their feet and shielding the accused given their official positions. Kavin’s father demanded immediate expulsion of the police couple from service and warned of continued protests unless justice was delivered.

The Tirunelveli district police have now booked Surjith and his parents under multiple sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal provisions related to murder and conspiracy. The couple have been named co-accused for alleged incitement and past threats to the victim. Police are also reviewing CCTV footage from the area and have promised swift action as public outrage mounts and political figures call for justice.

The killing has reignited debate and distress over entrenched caste violence in Tamil Nadu, where so-called honour killings, especially of Scheduled Caste and Dalit youths, have drawn national condemnation. The violence, unfolding in a crowded city neighbourhood in the presence of witnesses, has spotlighted fears of impunity when members of law enforcement are implicated.

As Kavin’s body lay in the district government hospital, his family and supporters maintained their vigil, insisting on accountability for what they described as a premeditated murder enabled by caste prejudice and police complicity. Protests continued into Monday and Tuesday, underscoring what many described as deep-rooted failure to protect the most vulnerable even as the state touts progress on social justice.

With the investigation now under national scrutiny, the community’s grief is matched only by a determination to expose and challenge the cycles of violence that led to Kavin’s death. For many in Tamil Nadu, the murder is an urgent call to confront honour killing and the corrosive grip of caste that persists in contemporary India.